Beyond the Diva Cup: 5 New Menstrual Cups to Consider

Okay, so you’ve probably heard of the Diva Cup? It’s the most popular menstrual cup brand in the world and it’s easy to find on drugstores shelves in most countries.

There are a few reasons why you might consider the Diva Cup (or other menstrual cup brand) instead of tampons. They include:

Better for the environment. Compare thousands of tampons to a handful of menstrual cups over a lifetime.

Cheaper. You can potentially save thousands of dollars by making the switch early in your life.

Better for your health. Menstrual cups come without the toxic chemicals that can be found in tampons.

Reduce your risk of toxic shock syndrome. To date, there’s been one case of TSS from a menstrual cup. Tampons? Thousands of reports.

Something you might not know is that there are more than a hundred menstrual cup options beyond the Diva Cup that you might want to consider. It’s not that the Diva Cup is bad, it’s actually a great menstrual cup that I often recommend for beginners. It’s just that these days, there are some better, cheaper options out there.

I’ll give you a quick run-down on my favourite options to consider besides the Diva Cup.

Option #1: Lena Cup

The Lena Cup is quickly becoming one of the most popular menstrual cup brands in the world, despite only being a few years old. Most people love the fit, and find that it’s easier to insert, doesn’t leak, and just seems to work better for them than the Diva Cup.

The thing I love best about the Lena Cup is that the company’s goal is to bring menstrual cups to as many people as possible at a reasonable price. The Lena can usually be found at 20-30% cheaper than the Diva Cup in online stores. However, it’s the same high-quality, and both cups are made from medical grade silicone.

There are two options for the Lena Cup: regular, and sensitive. The regular version is considered to be a firm menstrual cup, while the sensitive has a bit lower than average firmness. I recommend that beginners stick with the regular Lena Cup, while beginners may want to consider the sensitive model.

Option #2: Ziggy Cup

Next up on our list of options to consider beyond the Diva Cup is the Ziggy Menstrual Cup. Made by Intimina (the makers of the Lily Cup), you’ll want to consider the Ziggy Cup if you want to have non-messy period sex.

Unlike regular menstrual cups which sit low in the vaginal canal, the Ziggy Cup is designed to fit right below your cervix. It’s a flat, flexible disc, which allows you to have penetrative sex and it won’t get in the way.

Up until this year, your best option for sex during your period were Instead Soft Cups or Flex Menstrual Discs. These are great products, but I don’t love the fact that they’re disposable.

The best thing about the Ziggy Cup is that it’s made from medical grade silicone (the same as most menstrual cups) and can be used for years. Love it!

Option #3: Anigan Eva Cup

Next up on our list of the menstrual cups to consider beyond the Diva Cup is the Anigan Eva Cup. The reason I love this one is that it’s a high-quality cup, but sold at a very reasonable price.

There are thousands of people who LOVE the Eva Cup, as demonstrated by the reviews on Amazon. It has a nice firmness, not so stiff that it’s uncomfortable, but not so soft that it’s difficult to insert.

If you have a very heavy period, then you’ll want to consider the large Eva Cup, which has a capacity of 37 ml. Compare this to the Diva Cup at 30 ml, or a jumbo tampon at 10 ml, and you’ll find that you might even be able to sleep through the night without having to deal with your period!

Option #4: Sckooncup

Next up on our list is the Sckooncup, which is one of the softest menstrual cups you can buy. This makes it NOT a great option for beginners to menstrual cups, because you’ll probably find it a bit difficult to insert. The firmer menstrual cups just pop open inside you, while the softer ones have to be adjusted a bit to get them to open.

However, soft menstrual cups like the Sckooncup are very comfortable, and you likely won’t be able to feel it when it’s inside you. If a firmer menstrual cup like the Diva Cup has caused discomfort, or even cramping, then try out a soft menstrual cup and see if it works for you.

The Sckooncup is made in the USA from medical grade silicone. It also has some excellent customer reviews online and most people who try it, really seem to like it.

Option #5: XO Flo

The last option on our list of menstrual cups to consider beyond the Diva Cup is the XO Flo. The makers of this menstrual cup, Glad Rags came out with the original modern-day menstrual cup, the Keeper Cup, which is made of Latex.

However, don’t think of the XO Flo as an updated Keeper Cup. It’s not. It has an entirely different design and is made from medical grade silicone, instead of latex.

The reason that you might try the XO Flo is because it’s one of the biggest, highest capacity menstrual cups you can buy. It’s also very soft and most people find it very comfortable. Despite being so soft, it’s easy to insert and get it to open when inside you.

Sounds interesting, but you don’t need such a big menstrual cup? Keep your eyes open for the XO Flo Mini which is coming out in late 2018, or 2019.

About the Author

Jackie Bolen is a tree-hugging, friend of the Earth who hopes that a reusable period product will one day be found in the hands of every single menstruating person in the world.